Stephen Rea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Rea
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![]() Rea at JDIFF 2012
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Born | Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
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October 31, 1946
Education |
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Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1962–present |
Spouse(s) |
Dolours Price
(m. 1983; div. 2003) |
Children | 2 |
Stephen Rea (born October 31, 1946) is a famous Irish actor. He was born in Belfast, which is in Northern Ireland. Stephen Rea started his acting journey in Dublin at the Focus Theatre. He performed in many plays and on Irish television.
He became well-known around the world after starring in the 1992 film The Crying Game, directed by Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan. Stephen Rea has worked with Neil Jordan many times since then. Some of their movies together include Interview with the Vampire (1994), Michael Collins (1996), and Breakfast on Pluto (2005). He also had a main role in the 2011 TV series The Shadow Line.
As a stage actor, he is famous for his work at The Gate and Abbey theatres in Dublin. He also performed at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Stephen Rea helped start the Field Day Theatre Company with Brian Friel.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Crying Game in 1992. He also won a BAFTA Award in 2015 for his part in The Honourable Woman. In 2020, The Irish Times newspaper listed him as the 13th greatest Irish film actor ever.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Stephen Rea was born in Belfast in 1946. His father worked as a bus driver, and his mother was a housewife. He grew up in a Protestant family that supported Irish nationalism.
He studied English at the Queen's University Belfast. Later, he studied drama at the Abbey Theatre School in Dublin.
Acting Career Highlights
Stephen Rea has had a long and successful career in both theatre and film.
Stage Performances
Stephen Rea's connection with playwright Stewart Parker began when they were students. In the late 1970s, he acted with Gabriel Byrne and Colm Meaney in Dublin.
In 1980, Rea helped create the Field Day Theatre Company. He started it with other famous artists like Brian Friel and Seamus Heaney.
He has also worked closely with American playwright Sam Shepard. Rea starred in Shepard's first play as a director, Geography of a Horse Dreamer, in 1974. He later appeared in Shepard's plays Kicking a Dead Horse (2007) and Ages of the Moon (2009). Both plays were very popular and moved to New York. In 2009, Rea returned to the Abbey Theatre for a new play called Tales of Ballycumber.
In 2014, Rea starred in Enda Walsh's play Ballyturk.
Film and TV Roles
Stephen Rea became known worldwide after his role in Neil Jordan's film The Crying Game in 1992. This role earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He often works with Neil Jordan. Their other films include Interview with the Vampire (1994) and Michael Collins (1996). They also made The End of the Affair (1999), Breakfast on Pluto (2005), and Greta (2018).
In 2011, Rea played a villain named Gatehouse in the BBC crime drama The Shadow Line.
More recently, in 2023, Stephen Rea appeared in the film The Miracle Club. He played Frank, the husband of Eileen, who was played by Kathy Bates.
Voice Acting Work
From 1988 to 1994, Stephen Rea was chosen to speak the words of Gerry Adams. This was because of a special rule that stopped Adams's own voice from being broadcast.
In April 2012, Rea read James Joyce's short story The Dead on RTÉ Radio 1. He also narrated the BBC Radio 4 show of Ulysses in June 2012.
Awards and Recognition
Stephen Rea has received many awards and nominations for his acting. He has been nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. He has won two BAFTA Awards and three Irish Film and Television (IFTA) Awards.
He was nominated for a BAFTA Award and the Academy Award for Best Actor for The Crying Game (1992).
In 2004, he received special honorary degrees from Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University. These were given to him for his great contributions to theatre and acting.
He won a BAFTA Award for his role in The Honourable Woman in 2015.
In 2020, The Irish Times newspaper named him the 13th greatest Irish film actor of all time.
Other Activities
As of 2012, Stephen Rea was an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland. This means he helped support UNICEF's work for children.
Personal Life
From 1983 to 2003, Stephen Rea was married to Dolours Price. She was a political activist. They had two sons together. They divorced in 2003.
Stephen Rea lives in County Donegal as of 2020.
Filmography
Film Roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1970 | Cry of the Banshee | Villager | |
1982 | Angel | Danny | |
1984 | The Company of Wolves | Young Groom | |
1985 | The Doctor and the Devils | Timothy Broom | |
1985 | Loose Connections | Harry | |
1990 | Life Is Sweet | Patsy | |
1992 | The Crying Game | Fergus | |
1993 | Bad Behaviour | Gerry McAllister | |
1994 | Angie | Noel | |
1994 | Princess Caraboo | Gutch | |
1994 | Interview with the Vampire | Santiago | |
1994 | Prêt-à-Porter | Milo O'Brannigan | |
1995 | Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Nikos | |
1995 | All Men Are Mortal | Fosca | |
1995 | Citizen X | Lt. Viktor Burakov | |
1996 | Michael Collins | Ned Broy | |
1996 | Trojan Eddie | Eddie "Trojan Eddie" | |
1996 | The Last of the High Kings | Cab Driver | |
1997 | Fever Pitch | Ray | |
1997 | The Butcher Boy | Benny Brady | |
1997 | The Break | Sean Dowd | |
1997 | Double Tap | Cypher | |
1997 | Hacks | Brian | |
1998 | This Is My Father | Mission Priest | Cameo |
1998 | Still Crazy | Tony Costello | |
1999 | In Dreams | Dr. Silverman | |
1999 | Guinevere | Connie Fitzpatrick | |
1999 | I Could Read the Sky | P.J. Doran | |
1999 | The Life Before This | Brian | |
1999 | The End of the Affair | Henry Miles | |
2000 | The King's Wake | King Connor Mac Neasa | (Voice) Short subject |
2001 | The Musketeer | Cardinal Richelieu | |
2001 | On the Edge | Dr. Figure | |
2002 | FeardotCom | Alistair Pratt | |
2002 | Evelyn | Michael Beattie | |
2003 | Bloom | Leopold Bloom | |
2004 | The I Inside | Dr. Newman | |
2004 | The Halo Effect | "Fatso" | |
2004 | The Confessor | McCaran | |
2004 | Fluent Dysphasia | "Murph" | Short subject |
2004 | Proud | Barney Garvey | |
2004 | Control | Dr. Arlo Penner | |
2005 | Breakfast on Pluto | Bertie Vaughan | |
2005 | River Queen | Francis | |
2005 | Tara Road | Colm Maguire | |
2006 | V for Vendetta | Chief Inspector Eric Finch | |
2006 | Sisters | Dr. Philip Lacan | |
2006 | Sixty Six | Dr. Barrie | |
2007 | Until Death | Gabriel Callaghan | |
2007 | The Reaping | Father Michael Costigan | |
2007 | Stuck | Thomas Bardo | |
2008 | The Devil's Mercy | Tyler | |
2008 | Kisses | "Down Under" Dylan | Uncredited cameo |
2009 | Spy(ies) | M. Palmer | |
2009 | Child of the Dead End | Patrick MacGill | |
2009 | Nothing Personal | Martin | |
2009 | The Heavy | Jameson Anawalt | |
2009 | Ondine | Priest | |
2011 | Blackthorn | MacKinley | |
2011 | Stella Days | Brendan McSweeney | |
2012 | Underworld: Awakening | Dr. Jacob Lane | |
2012 | Werewolf: The Beast Among Us | Doc | Direct-to-DVD |
2013 | Tasting Menu | Walter | |
2014 | Asylum | McGahey | |
2014 | Styria | Dr. Hill | |
2014 | Out of the Dark | Jordan | |
2015 | Ruby Strangelove Young Witch | Danforth | |
2015 | An Enchanted Ruby | Danforth | |
2018 | Black '47 | Conneely | |
2018 | Greta | Brian Cody | |
2018 | Unquiet Graves | Narrator | Documentary about the Troubles |
2021 | Nightride | Joe | Voice |
2023 | The Miracle Club | Frank Dunne |
Television Roles
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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1964 | Crossroads | Pepe Costa | |
1967 | Angel Pavement | Second Mate | Episode: "They Arrive" |
1967 | Sanctuary | Stephen Moriarty | Episode: "The Voice of His Calling" |
1969 | Z-Cars | Kenny | Episode: "Snout: Part 2" |
1970 | Softly, Softly: Task Force | Philip Conner | Episode: "Trust a Woman" |
1971 | Omnibus | Hubert Page | Episode: "Hail and Farewell-George Moore" |
1972 | The Moonstone | Major Frayne | Episode: "1.1" |
1974 | Thriller | Arden Buckley | Episode: "K is for Killing" (US Title: "Color Him Dead") |
1974–1979 | Play for Today | Peter / Chas / Shay | 3 episodes |
1975–1976 | I Didn't Know You Cared | Carter Brandon | 13 episodes - (series 1 & 2 only; not in series 3 & 4) |
1977 | BBC2 Play of the Week | Hollar | Episode: "Professional Foul" |
1978 | Play of the Month | Constantin | Episode: "The Seagull" |
1978 | The Professionals | Pellin | Episode: "In the Public Interest" |
1978 | Thank You, Comrades | Mayakovsky | TV film |
1980 | Caleb Williams | Tyrell | Episode: "1.1" |
1982 | Joyce in June | Stanislaus Joyce / McIntosh | TV film |
1984 | Minder | Roddy Allan | Episode: "Windows" |
1984 | Four Days in July | Dixie | TV film |
1986 | Boon | Frank Warren | Episode: "Fools Rush In" |
1986 | Screen Two | Frankie | Episode: "Shergar" |
1987 | Lost Belongings | Lenny | 2 episodes |
1987 | Scout | Marshall | TV film |
1989 | 4 Play | Paul | Segment: "Not As Bad as They Seem" |
1989 | Endgame | Clov | TV film |
1990 | Not with a Bang | Colin Garrity | 7 episodes |
1993 | Saturday Night Live | Fergus | (Uncredited) Episode: "Miranda Richardson/Soul Asylum" |
1993–1995 | Performance | Ejlert Lovborg / Seamus Shields | 2 episodes |
1995 | Citizen X | Lieutenant Viktor Burakov | TV film |
1996 | Crime of the Century | Bruno Hauptmann | TV film |
2001 | A Scare at Bedtime | Dr. Roger St. Roctor | Episode: "Not What the Doctor Ordered" |
2001 | Snow in August | Rabbi Judah Hirsch | TV film |
2001 | Armadillo | Hogg | 3 episodes |
2001–2002 | Horrible Histories | Narrator (voice, UK dub) | 26 episodes |
2002 | Copenhagen | Niels Bohr | TV film |
2007 | Imeacht Na N'Iarlaí | Aodh Ó Néill, Tiarna Thir Eoghain | Episode: "1" |
2008 | 10 Days to War | Tim Cross | Episode: "These Things Are Always Chaos" |
2009 | Father & Son | Augustine Flynn | 4 episodes |
2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Callum "Cal" Donovan | Episode: "Solitary" |
2009 | Heidi 4 Paws | The Doctor (voice) | TV film |
2010 | Single-Handed | Sean Doyle | Episodes: "The Lost Boys: Parts 1 & 2" |
2011 | Roadkill | Seamus | TV film |
2011 | The Shadow Line | Gatehouse | 6 episodes |
2013 | Utopia | Conran Letts | 5 episodes |
2014 | The Honourable Woman | Sir Hugh Hayden-Hoyle | 8 episodes |
2015–2016 | Dickensian | Inspector Bucket | 16 episodes |
2016 | War & Peace | Prince Vassily Kuragin | 5 episodes |
2016 | Fir Bolg | Spencer | Episode: "Nochtadh" |
2018 | Counterpart | Alexander Pope | 7 episodes |
2018 | Thanksgiving | Melchior | 3 episodes |
2020 | The Stranger | Martin Killane | 8 episodes |
2020 | Flesh and Blood | Mark | 4 episodes |
2022 | The English | Sheriff Robert Marshall | 6 episodes |
2025 | Prime Target | Professor James Alderman | 5 episodes |
Stage Roles
Year | Title | Playwright | Venue |
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1967 | Shadow of a Gunman | Sean O'Casey | The Mermaid Theatre, London |
1969 | Captain Oates' Left Sock | John Antrobus | Royal Court Theatre, London |
1971 | Crete and Sargent Pepper | John Antrobus | |
1973 | The Freedom of the City | Brian Friel | |
1973 | The Duchess of Malfi | John Webster | 7:84 Theatre Company, London |
1973 | Sargent Musgraves | John Arden | The Gate, Dublin |
1973 | The White Devil | John Webster | Nottingham Playhouse |
1973 | Drums in the Night | Bertold Brecht | Hampstead Theatre, London |
1974 | Geography of a Horse Dreamer | Sam Shepard | Royal Court Theatre, London |
1974 | Comedians | Trevor Griffiths | Nottingham Playhouse |
1980 | Translations | Brian Friel | Field Day Theatre Company |
1981 | Three Sisters | Anton Chekhov adapt. Brian Friel | |
1982 | The Communication Cord | Brian Friel | |
1984 | High Time | Derek Mahon | |
1984 | The Riot Act | Tom Paulin | |
1986 | Double Cross | Thomas Kilroy | |
1987 | Pentecost | Stewart Parker | |
1989 | Saint Oscar | Terry Eagleton | |
2014 | Ballyturk | Enda Walsh | Galway International Arts Festival |
2014 | A Particle of Dread | Sam Shepard | Field Day Theatre Company |
2016 | Cyprus Avenue | David Ireland | Royal Court Theatre, London |
2020 | The Visiting Hour | Frank McGuinness | The Gate Theatre, Dublin |